DreamWorks
For the bulk of every Rocky and Bullwinkle episode, moose and squirrel would engage in high concept escapades that satirized geopolitics, contemporary cinema, and the very fabrics of the human condition. With all of that to work with, there's no excuse for why the pair and their Soviet nemeses haven't gotten a decent movie adaptation. But the ingenious Mr. Peabody and his faithful boy Sherman are another story, intercut between Rocky and Bullwinkle segments to teach kids brief history lessons and toss in a nearly lethal dose of puns. Their stories and relationship were much simpler, which means that bringing their shtick to the big screen would entail a lot more invention — always risky when you're dealing with precious material.
For the most part, Mr. Peabody &amp; Sherman handles the regeneration of its heroes aptly, allowing for emotionally substance in their unique father-son relationship and all the difficulties inherent therein. The story is no subtle metaphor for the difficulties surrounding gay adoption, with society decreeing that a dog, no matter how hyper-intelligent, cannot be a suitable father. The central plot has Peabody hosting a party for a disapproving child services agent and the parents of a young girl with whom 7-year-old Sherman had a schoolyard spat, all in order to prove himself a suitable dad. Of course, the WABAC comes into play when the tots take it for a spin, forcing Peabody to rush to their rescue.
Getting down to personals, we also see the left brain-heavy Peabody struggle with being father Sherman deserves. The bulk of the emotional marks are hit as we learn just how much Peabody cares for Sherman, and just how hard it has been to accept that his only family is growing up and changing.
DreamWorks
But more successful than the new is the film's handling of the old — the material that Peabody and Sherman purists will adore. They travel back in time via the WABAC Machine to Ancient Egypt, the Renaissance, and the Trojan War, and 18th Century France, explaining the cultural backdrop and historical significance of the settings and characters they happen upon, all with that irreverent (but no longer racist) flare that the old cartoons enjoyed. And oh... the puns.
Mr. Peabody &amp; Sherman is a f**king treasure trove of some of the most amazingly bad puns in recent cinema. This effort alone will leave you in awe.
The film does unravel in its final act, bringing the science-fiction of time travel a little too close to the forefront and dropping the ball on a good deal of its emotional groundwork. What seemed to be substantial building blocks do not pay off in the way we might, as scholars of animated family cinema, have anticipated, leaving the movie with an unfinished feeling.
But all in all, it's a bright, compassionate, reasonably educational, and occasionally funny if not altogether worthy tribute to an old favorite. And since we don't have our own WABAC machine to return to a time of regularly scheduled Peabody and Sherman cartoons, this will do okay for now.
If nothing else, it's worth your time for the puns.
3/5
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There is something particularly unnerving about demon possession. It's the idea of something you can't see or control creeping into your body and taking up residence eventually obliterating all you once were and turning you into nothing more than a sack of meat to be manipulated. Then there's also the shrouded ritual around exorcisms: the Latin chants the flesh-sizzling crucifixes and the burning Holy Water. As it turns out exorcism isn't just the domain of Catholics.
The myths and legends of the Jews aren't nearly as well known but their creepy dybbuk goes toe-to-toe with anything other world religions come up with. There are various interpretations of what a dybbuk is or where it comes from — is it a ghost a demon a soul of a sinner? — but in any case it's looking for a body to hang out in for a while. Especially according to the solemn Hasidic Jews in The Possession an innocent young person and even better a young girl.
The central idea in The Possession is that a fancy-looking wooden box bought at a garage sale was specifically created to house a dybbuk that was tormenting its previous owner. Unfortunately it caught the eye of young Emily (Natasha Calis) a sensitive artistic girl who persuades her freshly divorced dad Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan of Watchmen and Grey's Anatomy) to buy it for her. Never mind the odd carvings on it — that would be Hebrew — or how it's created without seams so it would be difficult to open or why it's an object of fascination for a young girl; Clyde is trying really hard to please his disaffected daughters and do the typical freshly divorced parent dance of trying to please them no matter the cost.
Soon enough the creepy voices calling to Emily from the box convince her to open it up; inside are even creepier personal objects that are just harbingers of what's to come for her her older sister Hannah (Madison Davenport) her mom Stephanie (Kyra Sedgwick) and even Stephanie's annoying new boyfriend Brett (Grant Show). Clyde and Stephanie squabble over things like pizza for dinner and try to convince each other and themselves that Emily's increasingly odd behavior is that of a troubled adolescent. It's not of course and eventually Clyde enlists the help of the son of a Hasidic rabbi a young man named Tzadok played by the former Hasidic reggae musician Matisyahu to help them perform an exorcism on Emily.
The Possession is not going to join the ranks of The Exorcist in the horror pantheon but it does do a remarkable job of making its characters intelligent and even occasionally droll and it offers up plenty of chills despite a PG-13 rating. Perhaps it's because of that rating that The Possession is so effective; the filmmakers are forced to make the benign scary. Giant moths and flying Torahs take the place of little Reagan violently masturbating with a crucifix in The Exorcist. Gagging and binging on food is also an indicator of Emily's possession — an interesting twist given the anxieties of becoming a woman a girl Emily's age would face. There is something inside her controlling her and she knows it and she is fighting it. The most impressive part of Calis's performance is how she communicates Emily's torment with a few simple tears rolling down her face as the dybbuk's control grows. The camerawork adds to the anxiety; one particularly scary scene uses ordinary glass kitchenware to great effect.
The Possession is a short 92 minutes and it does dawdle in places. It seems as though some of the scenes were juggled around to make the PG-13 cut; the moth infestation scene would have made more sense later in the movie. Some of the problems are solved too quickly or simply and yet it also takes a while for Clyde's character to get with it. Stephanie is a fairly bland character; she makes jewelry and yells at Clyde for not being present in their marriage a lot and then there's a thing with a restraining order that's pretty silly. Emily is occasionally dressed up like your typical horror movie spooky girl with shadowed eyes an over-powdered face and dark clothes; it's much more disturbing when she just looks like an ordinary though ill young girl. The scenes in the heavily Hasidic neighborhood in Brooklyn look oddly fake and while it's hard to think of who else could have played Tzadok an observant Hasidic Jew who is also an outsider willing to take risks the others will not Matisyahu is not a very good actor. Still the filmmakers should be commended for authenticity insofar as Matisyahu has studied and lived as a Hasidic Jew.
It would be cool if Lionsgate and Ghost House Pictures were to release the R-rated version of the movie on DVD. What the filmmakers have done within the confines of a PG-13 rating is creepy enough to make me curious to see the more adult version. The Possession is no horror superstar and its name is all too forgettable in a summer full of long-gestating horror movies quickly pushed out the door. It's entertaining enough and could even find a broader audience on DVD. Jeffrey Dean Morgan can read the Old Testament to me any time.

As we all know, 2010 was a bit of a dismal year for movies. Of course, we have some true gems that came out of 365 days that mostly served up a slew of lukewarm, tolerable films and a whole host of downright awful ones; and you would think that an awards ceremony would serve to pick out the best of the best. Instead the Golden Globes seem to be rewarding the brightest stars, even if their sparkle is a little dingy. However, if the past tells us anything, we should have known that the nominations for the Globes would be a bit questionable.
This isn’t the only year that we’ve seen some arguably undeserved Golden Globe nominations or at lease nominations that rewarded adequate films whose successes were bloated by star power but little else. It’s true; the Globes sort of play the little sister partying her way through college to the Oscars’ upstanding gentleman, so it would seem the most important factor for scoring a nomination is your Q score without quality of performance coming in second. On that cheery note, join as we count down the top 10 dubious Globe noms over the past 10 years. We’ve done our research, and every film on this list is rated certifiably rotten according to the cumulative reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and that’s pretty hard to argue with.
10. Across the Universe (2007)
Best Picture Musical or Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 53%
This Julie Taymor romp through the Beatles catalog of hits was visually stunning, taking a few questionable takes on the classic tunes and wielding them through a weak storyline that attempted to connect the music with the history that served as its backdrop. The film was fun, but by no means a triumph. The dialogue is weak and the story is a bit stale. This is the case of an adequate film worth a viewing or two but by no means deserving of a top honor. There are a few who hold this film in incredibly high standings who’d disagree with me on this one, but majority rule says “nay” to this flick.
9. Mel Gibson, What Women Want (2000)
Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 53%
This early 2000s romantic comedy accomplished nothing more than its bare-bones promise. Mel Gibson stumbled along through the outlandish plot wherein he not only survives falling into a bathtub with a hair dryer, but somehow obtains the magical power of hearing women’s thoughts. Gibson was nominated for a Globe, presumably for his ability to raise his eyebrows and try on pantyhose rather than his aptitude for comedic genius.
8. “Die Another Day” by Madonna, Die Another Day (2002)
Original Song
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 59%
Not only was the film itself one of the worst Bond films I’ve ever seen – it literally abolished all the aspects of Mr. Bond that were great – but the song is flat out terrible and completely uninspired. There were quite a few terrible Original Song nominations over the past few years, but this one takes the cake. It’s quite literally a combination of a few unintelligible lyrics, techno laser-gun noises, auto-tuned Madonna, and an opportunity to repeat the title of the movie over and over…and over just in case you forgot why she wrote the song in the first place.
7. Hugh Jackman, Kate and Leopold (2001)
Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 48%
This is another example of the subpar romantic comedy with two big names. Our own film critic gave the film a measly two stars and said the movie was “poorly executed” and relied on Meg Ryan’s “stale” charms, and I’m inclined to whole-heartedly agree (as did most other film critics). As for Jackman, as adorable as he is, all he did was trade in his Aussie accent for a prim and proper British one and say nice things to Ryan. That’s it. Kate and Leopold isn’t worth watching unless you’re snowed in and it’s playing on loop on Lifetime or Oxygen because it’s better than episodes of Maury and The Price is Right; it definitely doesn’t merit a golden statuette to recognize its cinematic “achievement.”
6. Sandra Bullock, Miss Congeniality (2000)
Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 42%
Was Miss Congeniality fun? Sure it was. Was it entertaining? Sure it was. But did it provide anything that could be considered a comedic achievement or even translate to fun for anyone besides girlies settling in with their Junior Mints and awaiting a total chick flick? Nope. As for Sandy, she does the same thing she does in every single movie. I’d probably even choose to give her a Globe nom for Practical Magic over her slapstick performance in Miss Congeniality. She may have played the coolest, sweetest FBI agent ever, but that doesn’t mean she needs a gold star.
5. Nine (2009)
Best Picture Musical or Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 37%
First of all, did anyone even see this movie? And of that small portion who did make it to the theater, did any of them even like it? Well, the evidence is to the contrary. Rob Marshall attempted to recreate the musical magic he achieved with 2002’s Chicago, but missed the mark by a mile, yet the film still merited a spot on the nominations list last year. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the film packed five big names and therefore ensured five famous faces to add to the champagne-soaked crowd at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Ballroom. Dear Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the fact that the category has room for musicals doesn’t mean you MUST include a musical.
4. Hayden Christensen, Life As A House (2001)
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 47%
Why would anyone nominate Hayden Christensen for an acting award? The only award he should get should be for being the prettiest male Star Wars character or for his ability to grunt and make menacing eyebrow movements. Even when he delivered what is most likely the best performance of his career in Shattered Glass (which was in itself a very good film), the only thing I could say about his performance was that he didn’t screw it up. In Life As A House, he did the same thing he does in every movie: look pretty and deliver lines in an awkward cadence. This is what merits an award these days?
3. Burlesque (2010)
Best Picture Musical or Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 37%
Did they learn nothing from Nine? Yes, it was the biggest musical movie this year, but it was pretty flat and uninspiring. You know that feeling you get when a grand musical number rouses your soul and just makes you want to get up and dance? Cher and Christina Aguilera’s big, dancy, sparkly film couldn’t even muster that. The plot was obviously engineered just to make room for the original songs and dance numbers, but the songs aren’t even that great. Even though the year was a bit dismal for movies, there are at least a handful that could have taken the place of this vapid movie. Kickass? Cyrus? Honestly, I’d even prefer to see the latest Twilight movie nominated over this – at least the idea that teenagers are horny and angsty is more believable than the notion that Aguilera is a 20-something burlesque prodigy from the Midwest.
2. Renee Zellweger, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
Best Actress Musical or Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 27%
Yikes, that is not a pretty number. This movie was so bad that even die-hard Bridget Jones fans were happy to see the credits roll. The first film was endearing, adorable even – yet still not necessarily award-worthy – but this abominable second installment was not only insulting to our intelligence but begged the question: did they drug Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant, drag them into a room, starve them into hallucination and then ask them to sign a contract to make this movie? Don’t believe me? Go ahead, spend an afternoon watching it and tell me you don’t miss those precious 108 minutes that could have been spent eating ice cream, petting a puppy, or I don’t know, watching another movie.
1. Angelina Jolie, The Tourist (2010)
Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 20%
Here we have it folks: the nomination so ludicrous that even Angelina laughed when she heard the news. The film basically served as an excuse for two Hollywood heavyweights to hang out in exotic European locales and get paid for it. Too bad they didn’t manage to share any of that fun and fancy free feeling with audiences, and the two sexpots didn’t even give us a good, steamy scene. All we got was a single measly kiss. Let’s call this nomination what it is: an Angelina-you’re-so-gorgeous-and-sexy-please-come-to-our-ceremony-and-drink-champagne-because-you’re-so-pretty award. Too bad that won’t fit on the little placard at the base of those Golden Globe statuettes.

Top Story: Paris Hilton Videotape Leaked
Paris Hilton, heir to the Hilton hotel fortune and star of Fox's upcoming reality series The Simple Life, is trying to stop the distribution of a homemade video that reportedly features her having sex with Rick Solomon, who went on to marry former Charmed star Shannen Doherty in 2002. Hilton's spokesperson Siri Garber told The Associated Press the tape was made three years ago while Solomon and Hilton were dating. "Not everybody indulges in that, but couples do it sometimes and it's just for themselves, for fun. She never intended for it to be seen by anybody other than the two of them," Garber said. An unidentified person reportedly distributed the video to some gossip columnists and Hilton's lawyers are trying to determine whether Solomon, 33, was involved in releasing the tape. Solomon, who owns a clothing and DVD company that distributes amateur party videos of scantily clad women, has supposedly split with Doherty but the status of their relationship is unclear, the AP reports.
LAPD Fires Celeb-Tracking Officer
The Los Angeles Police Department has fired a police officer who used department computers to review confidential records on celebrities, including Halle Berry, Jennifer Aniston and Dylan McDermott, the AP reports. Officer Kelly Chrisman, who was fired Oct. 27, said his superiors assigned him to look up the information as part of a project to map celebrity homes to help monitor potential stalkers, but the LAPD says no such project existed. Investigators say they do not know what Chrisman, 35, did with the information he accessed between 1994 and 2000.
Critics of Gibson's Passion Harassed
Two scholars who have criticized Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ said Thursday they have received hate mail in response to their comments. According to the AP, Sister Mary Boys, a professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York, and Paula Fredriksen, a Boston University professor, have received hateful e-mails from Gibson supporters. The women made the comments at a panel discussion about the film, which centers on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, at a national meeting of the Anti-Defamation League. The Passion of Christ is set for release Feb. 25.
Fox Releases Alien Quadrilogy
Twentieth Century Fox announced it will release Alien Quadrilogy, a boxed set of all four of director Ridley's Scott's Alien installments, on Dec. 2. According to Variety, the 9-disc set, priced at $99.98, contains the theatrical editions of all four movies in the series, including the theatrical version of Aliens, which has never been released on DVD before. Extras include nearly 45 hours of bonus features, directors' cuts of three of the movies and a restored "pre-release" version of Alien3. Double-disc DVD sets of each film will be sold separately beginning Jan. 6 for $26.98 each.
CBS Sings Hilary Duff
CBS has signed a comedy pilot deal with 16-year-old Lizzie McGuire star Hilary Duff and will develop a starring vehicle for the young actress for the 2004-05 season, Reuters reports. Disney's Lizzie McGuire wrapped production in July 2002 but Duff and her representatives had a public falling-out with the Mouse House after the two sides could not come to terms over a proposed sequel to The Lizzie McGuire Movie. CBS views signing Duff, who starts a national concert tour later this month to support her solo debut album, Metamorphosis, as an opportunity to cater to younger viewers.
VH-1 Updating Partridge Family
Music cabler VH-1 is planning an updated version of the 1970s sitcom The Partridge Family, which ran on ABC from 1970-74. According to The Hollywood Reporter Sony Pictures Television, which holds rights to the show about a musical family, will produce a reality series for VH-1 chronicling the casting of the family as well as a scripted half-hour pilot featuring the winners. No production date has been set, but the network is aiming to make it a tentpole of its 2004 schedule.
Timberlake Wins Big at MTV Europe Awards
Justin Timberlake was the big winner Thursday night at the MTV Europe Awards, walking away with three top prizes, including best male, best pop and best album for his debut album Justified. Christina Aguilera, who hosted the awards ceremony, was named best female artist. Other winners included Jamaican dancehall reggae sensation Sean Paul, who was named best new act of the year, and Beyoncé, who took the best R&amp;B award, while MTV viewers voted her single "Crazy in Love" best song of the year.
Role Call: Jackson, Arquette, Hershey, Christensen Set for King Thriller
Jonathan Jackson, David Arquette, Barbara Hershey and Erika Christensen have been set to star in Riding the Bullet, an adaptation of the Stephen King e-book, for writer/director Mick Garris, Variety reports. Set on Halloween in 1969, the supernatural thriller follows a 21-year-old New England college student (Jackson), who attempts suicide after his girlfriend (Christensen) breaks up with him. But when he learns that his mother (Hershey) has had a stroke, he hitchhikes through rural Maine to visit her bedside, and is picked up by a mysterious driver (Arquette).

The South invaded the North end of the box office chart this weekend as Sweet Home Alabama captured first place with a dazzling $37.5 million.
The Tuxedo celebrated in second place with a $15.1 million launch.
Barbershop finished third, holding well with $10.1 million. My Big Fat Greek Wedding was fourth with $9.8 million and a cume of $137 million on its way to $160 million, while The Banger Sisters retreated to fifth place with a sleepy $5.4 million.
Driven by Alabama, key films skyrocketed 43 percent over last year -- $99 million versus $74 million.
THE TOP TEN
Buena Vista/Touchstone's PG-13 rated romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama kicked off in first place to a record setting ESTIMATED $37.5 million at 3,293 theaters ($11,378 per theater).
Alabama's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend.
Directed by Andy Tennant, it stars Reese Witherspoon. The record setting opening elevated Witherspoon to Hollywood's A List of movie stars who can generate long opening weekend box office lines.
With $37.5 million already in hand, Alabama is a safe bet to crack $100 million in domestic theaters. Given its opening, it would seem at this point that the low end is probably $115 million and the high end is probably $130 million. Using the industry's most basic projection formula of three times the opening weekend gross would put Alabama's likely domestic cume at $112.5 million, a number that feels low given the heat of opening weekend. More accurate projections of where Alabama is heading will be possible when we know how well it holds in its second weekend.
Coming on the heels of BV's success with its late summer blockbuster Signs, which has grossed over $221 million through this weekend, Alabama is another strong indication that the Disney company's movie division is performing very well, is well managed and is a strong competitor.
Alabama is also good news for MGM, which has Witherspoon starring in the sequel Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, opening next July Fourth weekend.
"It's been quite a weekend for us," Buena Vista Distribution president Chuck Viane said Sunday morning. "Spirited Away continues (and) looks great and Moonlight Mile opened very nice and smartly. We're going to expand that to 400 runs next week. And then Reese opens up and blows the doors off of September! What more can you say?"
Focusing on Alabama's sweet launch, Viane noted, "It's the highest September opening in history. The old one was the original Rush Hour at $33 million (the weekend of Sept. 18-20, 1998). So this clearly blows away that."
In addition, looking at the record books indicates that Alabama probably also ranks as the biggest romantic comedy opening ever, beating Runaway Bride's $35.06 million opening the weekend of July 30-Aug. 1, 1999.
While Disney knew Alabama was on track to open big, was the studio surprised at just how well the picture performed? "We knew it was going to open very, very well," Viane replied. "I knew we had a shot at the (September) record, but to be able to surpass it like this, that's what caught me off-guard. It's the absolute strength of the movie. We knew it was good. Obviously, we put (Reese Witherspoon) in the right vehicle and Andy Tennant made a great movie. But this is America's new sweetheart. Anyway you look at it, she just dominated this movie. She smiled and everything happened."
As for who was there opening weekend, Viane said, "Actually, from 12 to 80. It was everybody. Again, there are new types of family movies and this is one of them. It's a rating friendly movie (with a PG-13) families had every reason to believe everybody would like it. Friday night the teens came out. Last night and yesterday afternoon the families came out. Last night the adults came out and couples. Interestingly enough, even on Saturday night some 30 percent-plus of our audience was teenagers. That's very strong for a Saturday."
Pointing to the film's CinemaScore exit polls, Viane said, "Every group gave it an A. The men were all A minuses and the women were all A's. The playability is terrific. I think it's going to have big time legs. Do I know there's a huge picture (Universal's Red Dragon) coming in next week? Yes. But I think we're demographically sufficiently different and crowd pleasing, so I think we'll be there for a long time."
DreamWorks' PG-13 action comedy The Tuxedo opened in second place to a well dressed ESTIMATED $15.1 million at 3,022 theaters ($4,997 per theater).
Directed by Kevin Donovan, it stars Jackie Chan and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
"It's a good opening," DreamWorks distribution head Jim Tharp said Sunday morning. "Going in, we were looking at (Jackie Chan's) Shanghai Noon as a comparison. This compares very favorably to their opening, which was on a holiday weekend ($19.65 million for the four day Memorial Day weekend of May 26-29, 2000)."
Asked if DreamWorks was pleased, Tharp observed, "We had to be pleased since the The Tuxedo gross was very close to the opening of Shanghai Noon, which opened on a holiday weekend."
Those on hand, Tharp noted, were "55 percent male. 44 percent of the audience was families, which is very high. 54 percent were under 25. It should continue to be the family movie of choice for the next few weeks."
MGM's PG-13 rated urban appeal comedy Barbershop fell two pegs to third place in its third week, still holding well with an ESTIMATED $10.1 million (-21%) at 2,051 theaters (+157 theaters; $4,924 per theater). Its cume is approximately $51.4 million, heading for $65 million or more in domestic theaters.
Directed by Tim Story, it stars Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson, Sean Patrick Thomas, Eve and Cedric The Entertainer.
IFC Films' release of Gold Circle Films and HBO's PG rated romantic comedy blockbuster My Big Fat Greek Wedding slid one slot to fourth place in its 24th week, still showing great legs with an ESTIMATED $9.77 million (even) at 1,841 theaters (-12 theaters; $5,307 per theater). Its cume is approximately $137.0 million, heading for $160 million in domestic theaters.
When Wedding passes $140.5 million later this week it will break the record set by Artisan Entertainment's The Blair Witch Project and become the domestic box office's biggest grossing independent film ever.
Directed by Joel Zwick, it stars Nia Vardalos and John Corbett.
Fox Searchlight Pictures' R rated low budget comedy The Banger Sisters slid three rungs to fifth place in its second week with a less lively ESTIMATED $5.43 million (-46%) at 2,738 theaters (theater count unchanged; $1,981 per theater). Its cume is approximately $18.8 million.
Written and directed by Bob Dolman, it stars Goldie Hawn, Susan Sarandon and Geoffrey Rush.
Paramount and Miramax's PG-13 rated very expensive romantic epic The Four Feathers added theaters in its second week and fell one notch to sixth place with a depressing ESTIMATED $3.63 million (-47%) at 2,187 theaters ($1,658 per theater). Its cume is approximately $12.5 million.
Directed by Shekhar Kapur, it stars Heath Ledger, Wes Bentley and Kate Hudson.
Fox Searchlight Pictures' R rated low budget thriller One Hour Photo dropped one slot to seventh place in its sixth week with a quiet ESTIMATED $3.0 million (-35%) at 1,303 theaters (-29 theaters; $2,302 per theater). Its cume is approximately $26.1 million.
Written and directed by Mark Romanek, it stars Robin Williams.
Franchise Films' R rated action thriller Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever from Warner Bros. plunged four posts to eighth place with a dull ESTIMATED $2.68 million (-62%) at 2,705 theaters (theater count unchanged; $989 per theater). Its cume is approximately $11.5 million.
Directed by "Kaos" and produced by Elie Samaha, Chris Lee and "Kaos," it stars Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu.
Buena Vista/Touchstone's PG-13 rated supernatural thriller blockbuster Signs dropped two pegs to ninth place in its ninth week with an okay ESTIMATED $2.3 million (-33%) at 1,783 theaters (-555 theaters; $1,307 per theater). Its cume is approximately $221.1 million, heading for $230 million.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, it stars Mel Gibson.
There was a three way tie for tenth place in Sunday's estimates.
Revolution Studios and Columbia's low budget PG-13 teen comedy Stealing Harvard, which was ninth last weekend, in its fourth week did a quiet ESTIMATED $1.5 million (-55%) at 2,323 theaters (-43 theaters; $646 per theater). Its cume is approximately $12.7 million.
Directed by Bruce McCulloch, it stars Tom Green and Jason Lee.
20th Century Fox's PG-13 thriller Swimfan, which was eighth last week, in its fourth week did a soft ESTIMATED $1.5 million (-56%) at 1,838 theaters (-734 theaters; $816 per theater). Its cume is approximately $26.6 million.
Directed by John Polson, it stars Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen and Shiri Appleby.
Senator Entertainment and Columbia's R rated child kidnapping thriller Trapped, which was tenth last week, did in its second week a slim ESTIMATED $1.5 million (-53%) at 2,227 theaters (theater count unchanged; $674 per theater). Its cume is approximately $5.7 million.
Directed by Luis Mandoki, it stars Charlize Theron, Courtney Love, Stuart Townsend and Kevin Bacon.
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend also saw the arrival of Buena Vista/ Touchstone's PG-13 rated drama Moonlight Mile in limited release to an encouraging ESTIMATED $0.35 million at 22 theaters ($15,779 per theater).
Written and directed by Brad Silberling, it stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon and Holly Hunter.
"It's an emotional film, very smart and very adult," Buena Vista Distribution's Chuck Viane said Sunday. "Brad Silberling did an absolutely terrific job. When you have people like Dustin and Susan and Jake and Holly and Ellen (Pompeo) in a movie (it makes a difference).
"Brad was at the Archlight (multiplex in Hollywood) yesterday. He was actually doing a personal one-on-one after the movie with the audience. They are really pleased about it. So we're expanding this (coming) weekend. We're going to pick up an additional 400 runs in every major city in America. We're going to be in the top 60 markets in the country. We'll be somewhere between 420 and 450 runs. The picture's playing great. The Archlight started Friday at $9,800 and went to $17,700 last night -- and nobody knew Brad was going to be there. I think this is a really good start. I'm really looking forward to the expansion on this one."
SNEAK PREVIEWS
There were no national sneak previews this weekend.
EXPANSIONS
On the expansion front this weekend United Artists' R rated dark comedy Igby Goes Down widened in its third week with an upbeat ESTIMATED $0.69 million (-10%) at 121 theaters (+19 theaters; $5,672 per theater). Its cume is approximately $2.1 million.
Written and directed by Burr Steers, it stars Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, Jared Harris, Amanda Peet, Ryan Phillippe, Bill Pullman and Susan Sarandon.
"We're going to go into 21 more markets on Friday," an MGM spokesman said Sunday morning. "That should bring us to like 140 theaters."
Lions Gate Films' R rated kinky romance Secretary expanded in its second week with a sexy ESTIMATED $0.38 million at 53 theaters (+42 theaters; $7,075 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.65 million.
Directed by Steven Shainberg, it stars James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
"It's probably heading to somewhere between $4-5 million on the art house circuit," Lions Gate president Tom Ortenberg said Sunday morning.
"We'll see what happens on the next couple of spreads. We're adding more runs on Oct. 4 and 11 and will probably reach our widest point on Oct. 18. Then we'll see how far outside the big cities we can go."
Buena Vista/ Disney's PG rated animated feature Spirited Away went wider in its second week, still in high spirits with an ESTIMATED $0.52 million at 53 theaters (+27 theaters; $9,827 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.1 million.
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, it was the Golden Bear best picture winner at the Berlin International Film Festival. Spirited Away is the all-time top grossing film at the Japanese box office.
Focus Features' R rated French comedic whodunit 8 Women expanded in its second week with a still attractive ESTIMATED $0.3 million at 57 theaters (+40 theaters; $5,630 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.8 million.
Directed by Francois Ozon, it stars Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Beart, Fanny Ardant, Virginie Ledoyen, Danielle Darrieux, Ludivine Sagnier and Firmine Richard.
Paramount Classics' PG rated German romantic comedy Mostly Martha went wider in its seventh week with a weak ESTIMATED $0.3 million at 143 theaters (+12 theaters; $2,225 per theater). Its cume is approximately $2.6 million.
Written and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck, it stars Martina Gedeck.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $99.01 million for the weekend, up about 43.12 percent from last year when they totaled $69.18 million.
Key films were up about 33.6 percent from the previous weekend this year when they totaled $74.11 million.
Last year, Fox's opening week of Don't Say A Word was first with $17.09 million at 2,802 theaters ($6,099 per theater); and Paramount's opening week of Zoolander was second with $15.53 million at 2,507 theaters ($6,193 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $32.6 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $52.6 million.

None of this weekend's four wide openings cut short Barbershop's first place reign, leaving it atop the chart with $13.3 million.
The Banger Sisters opened with a bang in second place with $10.3 million.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a fat third with $10 million and a $124 million cume heading for $150 million.
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever >and The Four Feathers opened in a fourth place tie with a featherweight $7.1 million each.
Trapped, the weekend's other wide opening, placed tenth with a subdued $3.2 million.
Even with no huge openings, key films soared 41.5 percent over last year -- $75 million versus $53 million. The comparison is misleading, however, since ticket sales a year earlier were depressed in the wake of 9/11.
THE TOP TEN
MGM's PG-13 rated urban appeal comedy Barbershop held on to the top spot in its second week with a solid ESTIMATED $13.3 million (-36%) at 1,894 theaters (+289 theaters; $7,022 per theater). Its cume is approximately $38.9 million.
Directed by Tim Story, it stars Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson, Sean Patrick Thomas, Eve and Cedric The Entertainer.
Barbershop's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend.
Focusing on the low budget Barbershop's good hold, a competing studio marketing president said the picture is clearly attracting mainstream moviegoers as well as its urban core audience. "What that says to me," he observed, "is that it's crossing over to young males -- not African-Americans, but just young males. You can't hold like that without that."
Fox Searchlight Pictures' R rated low budget comedy The Banger Sisters opened in second place to a sexy ESTIMATED $10.3 million at 2,736 theaters ($3,763 per theater).
Written and directed by Bob Dolman, it stars Goldie Hawn, Susan Sarandon and Geoffrey Rush.
"We're very, very pleased," Fox Searchlight distribution president Stephen Gilula said Sunday morning.
"Essentially, we more than grossed our production budget on opening weekend. For a film that's had a pretty narrow but very targeted audience to end up number two for the weekend, we're just thrilled."
Banger's launch, Gilula added, "is also a record for Searchlight. It's the biggest opening in Searchlight history. (The previous biggest) was a week ago with the $8 million for One Hour Photo. So two weeks in a row we set and broke our own records."
Asked if Searchlight will go any wider with Banger, Gilula replied, "I think we're as wide as we need to be. In fact, that's wider than we had intended. But the demand for the film was so high after we screened it for exhibitors that we went up to 2,700 (plus theaters).
"Originally, we thought we'd be in 2,300 to 2,500. But partly because (there are so) few films in the marketplace toward the end of the summer we had a lot of demand, so we went up that high. So we won't be adding theaters."
IFC Films' release of Gold Circle Films and HBO's PG rated romantic comedy blockbuster My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a close third, down one peg in its 23rd week with a still enviable ESTIMATED $10.01 million (-7%) at 1,853 theaters (+89 theaters; $4,501 per theater). Its cume is approximately $124.3 million, heading for $160 million in domestic theaters.
Wedding should break the $140.5 million record set by Artisan Entertainment's The Blair Witch Project as the domestic box office's biggest grossing independent film ever.
Directed by Joel Zwick, it stars Nia Vardalos and John Corbett.
Franchise Films' R rated action thriller Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever arrived via Warner Bros. in a fourth place tie with a soft ESTIMATED $7.11 million at 2,705 theaters ($2,628 per theater).
Ballistic, whose roots are in a popular video game, reportedly had a production budget of about $70 million.
Directed by Kaos and produced by Elie Samaha, Chris Lee and Kaos, it stars Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu.
Paramount and Miramax's PG-13 rated very expensive romantic epic The Four Feathers opened in a tie for fourth place with an uneventful ESTIMATED $7.1 million at 1,912 theaters ($3,713 per theater).
Directed by Shekhar Kapur, it stars Heath Ledger, Wes Bentley and Kate Hudson.
"It's disappointing, but I just got the exit polls and it played pretty well," Paramount distribution president Wayne Lewellen said Sunday morning. "The top two boxes are 74 percent excellent and very good and 22 percent are good. So it's all positive. There is virtually no fair or poor."
The exits indicate, Lewellen added, the audience opening weekend was "roughly 50-50 male-female. The audience was a little over 70 percent over-25, so it's definitely an older audience. Women scored it higher than men in their definite recommends. Any time you've got a film that appeals to an older audience, it's tough to get them out there quickly."
Paramount will add about 300 more theaters in smaller markets to Feathers' run this week as a second wave that it hopes will benefit from favorable word of mouth spreading.
Fox Searchlight Pictures' R rated low budget thriller One Hour Photo slid three clicks to sixth place in its fifth week, still in the picture with an okay ESTIMATED $4.73 million (-41%) at 1,332 theaters (+120 theaters; $3,547 per theater). Its cume is approximately $21.8 million.
Written and directed by Mark Romanek, it stars Robin Williams.
"One Hour Photo had a fabulous fifth week," Fox Searchlight's Stephen Gilula said. "This is just terrific. With four new movies coming into the marketplace in our fifth week, it's an excellent hold. In particular, for the screen average to be holding this high in the fifth week is terrific. We think we're going to get to $30 million or better for this film, which is tremendous. This (had a budget) of around $12 million, so this is a tremendous success for us.
"If it gets to $30 million, it (will become) the second biggest film in the U.S. for Searchlight since The Full Monty, so we're thrilled with that. Full Monty did $45 million."
Gilula also pointed out that Searchlight has The Good Girl in the marketplace, which has a cume of $12.8 million in its seventh week. "What's interesting is that on the three films (Banger, Photo and Girl) we had a total of 4,600 theaters across the country playing our movies this weekend, which is also a Searchlight record."
Buena Vista/Touchstone's PG-13 rated supernatural thriller blockbuster Signs, which was sixth last weekend, tied for seventh place in its eighth week with a calm ESTIMATED $3.5 million (-34%) at 2,338 theaters (-713 theaters; $1,497 per theater). Its cume is approximately $218.0 million, heading for $225 million.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, it stars Mel Gibson.
Revolution Studios and Columbia's low budget PG-13 teen comedy Stealing Harvard, which was fifth last week, tied for seventh place in its second week with a slow ESTIMATED $3.5 million (-42%) at 2,366 theaters (theater count unchanged; $1,479 per theater). Its cume is approximately $10.8 million.
Directed by Bruce McCulloch, it stars Tom Green and Jason Lee.
20th Century Fox's PG-13 thriller Swimfan, which was fourth last week, was a very close ninth in its third week with an ESTIMATED $3.45 million (-43%) at 2,573 theaters (-287 theaters; $1,341 per theater). Its cume is approximately $24.4 million.
Directed by John Polson, it stars Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen and Shiri Appleby.
Rounding out the Top Ten was the opening of Senator Entertainment's R rated child kidnapping thriller Trapped via Columbia with a not so thrilling ESTIMATED $3.2 million at 2,227 theaters ($1,437 per theater).
Directed by Luis Mandoki, it stars Charlize Theron, Courtney Love, Stuart Townsend and Kevin Bacon.
"This was a domestic pick up. It was a film financed by Senator and we acquired domestic (rights) for a little less than $10 million," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing &amp; distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning.
"So while we're certainly disappointed in the results, it's certainly not a high exposure picture for us."
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend also saw the arrival of Buena Vista/ Disney's PG rated animated feature Spirited Away to a high spirited ESTIMATED $0.45 million at 26 theaters ($17,313 per theater).
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, it was the Golden Bear best picture winner at the Berlin International Film Festival. Spirited is the all-time top grossing film at the Japanese box office.
Lions Gate Films' R rated kinky romance Secretary opened to a slap happy ESTIMATED $0.19 million at 11 theaters ($17,273 per theater).
Directed by Steven Shainberg, it stars James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
"We open an additional 10 markets next week with more expansions on Oct. 4 and 11 coming up," Lions Gate president Tom Ortenberg said Sunday morning.
"I think it went great. We had sell-outs on both coasts. Our grosses were only held down by the number of seats. There seems to be great demand for it. The movie seems really well positioned. It got really well reviewed and people seem to be talking about it. So we're thrilled."
Focus Features' R rated French comedic whodunit 8 Women arrived to a glamorous ESTIMATED $87,000 at 7 theaters ($10,926 per theater).
Directed by Francois Ozon, it stars Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Beart, Fanny Ardant, Virginie Ledoyen, Danielle Darrieux, Ludivine Sagnier and Firmine Richard.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
There were no national sneak previews this weekend.
EXPANSIONS
On the expansion front this weekend United Artists' R rated dark comedy Igby Goes Down widened in its second week with an upbeat ESTIMATED $0.84 million at 102 theaters (+92 theaters; $8,212 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.3 million.
Written and directed by Burr Steers, it stars Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, Jared Harris, Amanda Peet, Ryan Phillippe, Bill Pullman and Susan Sarandon.
Paramount Classics' PG rated German romantic comedy Mostly Martha went wider in its sixth week with a dull ESTIMATED $0.3 million (-12%) at 131 theaters (+30 theaters; $2,555 per theater). Its cume is approximately $2.2 million.
Written and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck, it stars Martina Gedeck.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $75.05 million for the weekend, up about 41.54 percent from last year when in the wake of 9/11 they totaled a depressed $53.02 million.
Key films were down about 3.47 percent from the previous weekend this year when they totaled $77.74 million.
Last year, Paramount's second week of Hardball was first with $8.06 million at 2,210 theaters ($3,646 per theater); and Dimension's opening week of The Others was second with $5.08 million at 2,801 theaters ($1,815 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $13.2 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $23.6 million.

Barbershop opened to a hair-raising $21 million that had the MGM lion roaring happily in first place.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding continued celebrating in second place with $11 million. With nearly $111 million already in hand, it's heading for $140 million.
One Hour Photo went wide and was an impressive third with $7.7 million.
Stealing Harvard kicked off uneventfully in fourth place to $6.3 million.
Swimfan sank into deeper box office waters, placing fifth in its second weekend with $6.1 million.
Driven by Barbershop, key films (those grossing $500,000 or more) were up 30 percent from last year -- $77.6 million versus $59.5 million. It was Hollywood's first up weekend after eighth consecutive weekends in which business was down from last year.
THE TOP TEN
MGM's PG-13 rated urban appeal comedy Barbershop opened atop the chart to a head-turning ESTIMATED $21.0 million at 1,605 theaters ($13,084 per theater).
Directed by Tim Story, it stars Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson, Sean Patrick Thomas, Eve and Cedric The Entertainer.
Barbershop's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend.
A double-barreled success for us this weekend," MGM theatrical distribution president Eric Lomis said Sunday morning, referring to MGM's strong openings for both Barbershop and the limited release of United Artists' Igby Goes Down (see OTHER OPENINGS below).
"Obviously, we're thrilled with the number," Lomis said about Barbershop. "I mean, $21 million for this movie is just through the roof. It's a great movie. People love it. The filmmakers did a tremendous job on it. We couldn't be more pleased with the opening. It's doing most of its business with African-Americans and Hispanics. However, it is crossing over. We have a lot of really strong numbers from cross-over houses.
"And word of mouth is through the roof on this picture. The CinemaScores are great. The exit polls are great. And they're equally as great with both African-Americans and non-African-Americans. So we think the picture's going to run for a while. They delivered a great film. And the cast really worked hard on it. And (the result is) success."
Asked if MGM will go wider with Barbershop, Lomis replied, "We're going to try to expand a little bit. We're everywhere now. We just didn't saturate the market with it. But we're going to try to take a few hundred more runs this week."
IFC Films' release of Gold Circle Films and HBO's PG rated romantic comedy blockbuster My Big Fat Greek Wedding held on to second place in its 22nd week, still showing fantastic legs with an ESTIMATED $11.03 million (+6%) at 1,764 theaters (+69 theaters; $6,254 per theater). Its cume is approximately $110.7 million, heading for $140 million in domestic theaters.
If Wedding can crack $140.53 million, it will overtake Artisan Entertainment's The Blair Witch Project to become the domestic box office's biggest grossing independent film ever.
Directed by Joel Zwick, it stars Nia Vardalos and John Corbett.
Fox Searchlight Pictures' R rated thriller One Hour Photo went wide in its fourth week, developing a very encouraging ESTIMATED $7.68 million at 1,212 theaters (+1,039 theaters; $6,337 per theater). Its cume is approximately $14.2 million.
Written and directed by Mark Romanek, it stars Robin Williams.
"It's great. The picture's really showing a lot of strength," a Fox Searchlight spokesman said Sunday morning. "Obviously, it's got excellent word of mouth because in the markets where we're already open it's holding very well."
Revolution Studios and Columbia's PG-13 teen comedy Stealing Harvard opened uneventfully in fourth place to an ESTIMATED $6.3 million at 2,366 theaters ($2,663 per theater).
Directed by Bruce McCulloch, it stars Tom Green and Jason Lee.
"It's a modestly priced picture in the low $20 millions and we'll probably gross in that range and probably come out about even," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing &amp; distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning.
20th Century Fox's PG-13 thriller Swimfan plunged four slots to fifth place in its second week with an ESTIMATED $6.07 million (-46%) at 2,859 theaters (+3 theaters; $2,123 per theater). Its cume is approximately $19.7 million.
Directed by John Polson, it stars Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen and Shiri Appleby.
Buena Vista/Touchstone's PG-13 rated supernatural thriller blockbuster Signs fell two rungs to sixth place in its seventh week, still holding well with an ESTIMATED $5.3 million (-33%) at 3,051 theaters (-181 theaters; $1,725 per theater). Its cume is approximately $212.9 million, heading for $225 million.
Directed by M Night Shyamalan, it stars Mel Gibson.
Franchise Pictures R rated cop drama City by the Sea, released through Warner Bros., slid four slots to seventh place in its second week with a soggy ESTIMATED $4.78 million (-47%) at 2,575 theaters (theater count unchanged; $1,856 per theater). Its cume is approximately $16.6 million.
Directed by Michael Caton-Jones, it stars Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand and James Franco.
Revolution Studios and Columbia's PG-13 rated action adventure thriller xXx slipped three notches to eighth place in its sixth week with a quiet ESTIMATED $3.3 million (-37%) at 2,771 theaters (-317 theaters; $1,191 per theater). Its cume is approximately $135.4 million, heading for the low-to-mid $140 millions.
Directed by Rob Cohen and produced by Neal H Moritz, it stars Vin Diesel, Asia Argento and Marton Csokas.
Miramax/Dimension Films' PG rated family comedy sequel Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams fell three pegs to ninth place in its sixth week with a soft ESTIMATED $2.4 million (-21%) at 2,493 theaters (-328 theaters; $962 per theater). Its cume is approximately $77.1 million.
Directed by Robert Rodriguez, it stars Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino.
Rounding out the Top Ten was New Line's PG-13 rated comedy sequel Austin Powers in Goldmember, down two pegs in its eighth week with a dull ESTIMATED $1.8 million (-34%) at 1,811 theaters (-291 theaters; $994 per theater). Its cume is approximately $209.5 million.
Directed by Jay Roach, it stars Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles and Michael Caine.
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend also saw the arrival of United Artists' R rated dark comedy Igby Goes Down to a sizzling ESTIMATED $0.32 million at 10 theaters ($31,918 per theater).
Written and directed by Burr Steers, it stars Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, Jared Harris, Amanda Peet, Ryan Phillippe, Bill Pullman and Susan Sarandon.
"Igby Goes Down was released only in New York and L.A.," MGM's Eric Lomis said Sunday morning. The film's average of nearly $32,000 per theater, he added, "is as good as it gets with these kinds of films. The critics and the audiences are all responding to it. That will be expanding this week, probably to about 100 theaters in 20 cities.
"We are equally as thrilled with Igby (as with the chart-topping launch of Barbershop) although obviously it's a much smaller scale. But it's a huge success for that film and that director, as well. Burr Steers directed it. It's a really good movie. He gave us a strong film and audiences love it."
Sony Pictures Classics' R rated Chinese drama Quitting opened to a slow ESTIMATED $8,000 at 5 theaters ($1,664 per theater).
Directed by Zhang Yang, it was an official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
There were no national sneak previews this weekend.
EXPANSIONS
On the expansion front this weekend Focus Features' romantic drama Possession added a few more theaters in its fifth week with a quiet ESTIMATED $0.7 million (-24%) at 619 theaters (+3 theaters; $1,195 per theater). Its cume is approximately $9.0 million.
Directed by Neil LaBute, it stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart.
Paramount Classics' PG rated German romantic comedy Mostly Martha went wider in its fifth week with a calm ESTIMATED $0.4 million at 101 theaters (+31 theaters; $3,940 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.7 million.
Written and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck, it stars Martina Gedeck.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $77.61 million for the weekend, up about 30.44 percent from last year when they totaled $59.5 million.
Key films were up about 15.75 percent from the previous weekend this year when they totaled $67.05 million.
Last year, Paramount's opening week of Hardball was first with $9.39 million at 2,137 theaters ($4,392 per theater); and Sony's opening week of The Glass House was second with $5.74 million at 1,591 theaters ($3,607 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $15.1 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $32.0 million.

SwimFan made an unexpectedly big box office splash, opening in first place to $12.4 million.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding continued dancing in second place, holding beautifully with $10.6 million. With its cume now at $96 million, Wedding is heading for an enormously profitable $125 million or more.
City by the Sea washed ashore quietly in third place with $9.1 million.
Signs placed fourth with $8.0 million while its cume entered mega-milestone territory with $205.8 million.
xXx finished fifth with $5.5 million as its cume reached $131 million.
With no new blockbusters driving the fall's first post-Labor Day weekend, key films (those grossing $500,000 or more) were down marginally by about 1 percent -- $68.2 million versus last year's $68.8 million. It was the eighth consecutive weekend in which business was down from last year.
THE TOP TEN
20th Century Fox's PG-13 thriller SwimFan kicked off atop the chart to a surprisingly strong ESTIMATED $12.43 million at 2,855 theaters ($4,354 per theater).
Directed by John Polson, it stars Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen and Shiri Appleby.
Asked why SwimFan hadn't tracked like it would end up being the weekend's number one film, Fox executive vice president, distribution Rick Myerson said Sunday morning, "The tracking is a guide. It's not the Ouija board that gives you exact information. We noticed that the tracking for young females and young males was increasing all week. I think sometimes what people do is look at the overall tracking rather than get into the specifics.
"The audience was young females and young males and that started to come on (stronger) at the end of the week. There hadn't been a movie for young females since Blue Crush and there hadn't been a movie for young males since xXx. So all of a sudden they saw, 'Hey, this is the perfect vehicle for me. Let's go.' I think that had something to do with it."
IFC Films' release of Gold Circle Films and HBO's PG rated romantic comedy sleeper hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding held on to second place in its 21st week with a still outstanding ESTIMATED $10.59 million (-5%) at 1,695 theaters (+76 theaters; $6,249 per theater). Its cume is approximately $96.0 million, well on its way to $125 million or more in domestic theaters.
Wedding's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend.
Directed by Joel Zwick, it stars Nia Vardalos and John Corbett.
Going into the weekend, with SwimFan not tracking like it would place first, insiders had speculated that Wedding could move up to the top spot.
"We fell a few meters short of SwimFan, but can't complain about a $10 million (plus) weekend that dropped off only 5 percent from a holiday weekend," IFC distribution head Rob Schwarz said Sunday morning.
Franchise Pictures R rated cop drama City by the Sea, released through Warner Bros., opened in third place with an uneventful ESTIMATED $9.14 million at 2,575 theaters ($3,550 per theater).
Directed by Michael Caton-Jones, it stars Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand and James Franco.
Buena Vista/Touchstone's PG-13 rated supernatural thriller blockbuster Signs slid three rungs to fourth place in its sixth week with an OK ESTIMATED $8.0 million (-41%) at 3,232 theaters (-205 theaters; $2,475 per theater). Its cume is approximately $205.8 million, heading for $225 million.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, it stars Mel Gibson.
Revolution Studios and Columbia's PG-13 rated action adventure thriller xXx slipped two notches to fifth place in its fifth week with a still macho ESTIMATED $5.5 million (-47%) at 3,088 theaters (-448 theaters; $1,791 per theater). Its cume is approximately $131.0 million.
Directed by Rob Cohen and produced by Neal H. Moritz, it stars Vin Diesel, Asia Argento and Marton Csokas.
"We keep working our way towards $150 million or very close to it and couldn't be more pleased," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing &amp; distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning.
Miramax/Dimension Films' PG rated family comedy sequel Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams dropped two pegs to sixth place in its fifth week with a dull ESTIMATED $3.0 million (-50%) at 2,821 theaters (-429 theaters; $1,063 per theater). Its cume is approximately $73.9 million.
Directed by Robert Rodriguez, it stars Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino.
New Line's PG-13 rated comedy sequel Austin Powers in Goldmember slid one post to seventh place in its seventh week with a less lively ESTIMATED $2.76 million (-50%) at 2,102 theaters (-404 theaters; $1,308 per theater). Its cume is approximately $207.1 million.
Directed by Jay Roach, it stars Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles and Michael Caine.
Asked where Goldmember is heading, New Line distribution president David Tuckerman said Sunday morning, "somewhere between $210-215 million probably." The previous sequel Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me did $205.4 million in domestic theaters in 1999.
MDP Worldwide's R rated horror film feardotcom fell three notches to eighth place via Warner Bros. in its second week with a soft ESTIMATED $2.35 million (-50%) at 2,550 theaters (theater count unchanged; $920 per theater). Its cume is approximately $10.5 million.
Directed by William Malone, it stars Stephen Dorff, Natascha McElhone and Stephen Rea.
Columbia took ninth place with what Sony called an "encore release" of its PG-13 rated blockbusters Spider-Man and Men in Black II with an ESTIMATED $2.0 million at 2,078 theaters ($962 per theater). Sony did not release a new cume for each film, but put the double bill's "encore release cume" at $2.0 million.
Directed by Sam Raimi, Spider-Man stars Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris.
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, Men In Black II stars Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith.
"It's an encore run prior to what looks like spectacular video and DVD releases on each," Sony's Jeff Blake said Sunday morning. "Spider-Man on Oct. 31, a special Halloween release date. And a Thanksgiving release date on Men In Black II."
Rounding out the Top Ten was Universal and Imagine Entertainment's PG-13 rated romantic surfer girl comedy Blue Crush with a calm ESTIMATED $1.81 million (-59%) at 2,009 theaters (-811 theaters; $900 per theater). Its cume is approximately $37.2 million.
Directed by John Stockwell and produced by Brian Grazer and Karen Kehela, it stars Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, Matthew Davis, Sanoe Lake and Mika Boorem.
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend saw the arrival of no other noteworthy releases.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
There were no national sneak previews this weekend.
EXPANSIONS
On the expansion front this weekend Fox Searchlight Pictures' R rated comedy The Good Girl went wider in its fifth week with a solid ESTIMATED $1.5 million (-48%) at 690 theaters (+23 theaters; $2,210 per theater). Its cume is approximately $9.7 million.
Directed by Miguel Arteta, it stars Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly.
Fox Searchlight Pictures' R rated thriller One Hour Photo continued to expand well in its third week with a strong ESTIMATED $1.45 million (-42%) at 173 theaters (+9 theaters; $8,382 per theater). Its cume is approximately $5.9 million.
Written and directed by Mark Romanek, it stars Robin Williams.
"Next Friday it expands to 1,200 runs," a Fox Searchlight spokesman said Sunday morning.
Focus Features' romantic drama Possession added a few more theaters in its fourth week with a still hopeful ESTIMATED $0.98 million (-49%) at 616 theaters (+2 theaters; $1,590 per theater). Its cume is approximately $7.9 million.
Directed by Neil LaBute, it stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart.
Paramount Classics' PG rated German romantic comedy Mostly Martha went wider in its fourth week with an OK ESTIMATED $0.3 million (-31%) at 70 theaters (+4 theaters; $3,720 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.2 million.
Written and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck, it stars Martina Gedeck.
United Artists' R rated comedy 24 Hour Party People, released through MGM, continued to widen and hold well in its fifth week with an ESTIMATED $93,000 at 35 theaters (+3 theaters; $2,649 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.8 million.
Directed by Michael Winterbottom, it stars Steve Coogan.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films--those grossing more than $500,000--took in approximately $68.18 million for the weekend, down a marginal 0.93 percent from last year when they totaled $68.82 million.
Key films cannot be compared to the previous weekend of this year, which was a four day holiday weekend.
Last year, Universal's opening week of The Musketeer was first with $10.31 million at 2,438 theaters ($4,230 per theater); and Sony's opening week of Two Can Play That Game was second with $7.72 million at 1,297 theaters ($5,953 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $18.0 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $23.0 million.

Driven by Star Wars and Spider-Man, Memorial Day weekend ticket sales are heading for a red-hot, record-setting four-day gross of $200 million or more.
At the holiday weekend's mid-point, insiders were confident this will be Hollywood's biggest Memorial Day ever. Star Wars: Episode II--Attack of the Clones will take top honors again with $61 million or more (for four days as are all of today's estimates). Some industry projections Sunday morning had Clones doing as much as $63-64 million.
Spider-Man will be a very powerful number two again with about $38.5 million.
When the Memorial Day weekend box office dust settles Clones' cume will be over $202 million and Spidey's cume will be over $336 million.
Insomnia will awaken loudly in third place with over $26 million. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron will sprint nicely into fourth place with over $23 million. And Enough will do well enough to round out the Top Five with about $19 million.
Key films -- those grossing $500,000 or more for the four days -- are expected to crack $200 million, an increase of about 12 percent over last year's then record setting Memorial Day total of $178.5 million.
THE TOP TEN
(NOTE: Today's estimates are for the four-day Memorial Day weekend from Friday through Monday. Percentage variations are versus the previous weekend plus last week's non-holiday Monday. Estimates are also indicated parenthetically for the three-day period Friday through Sunday.)
20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm's PG rated franchise installment Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones continued to orbit in first place in its second week with an outstanding ESTIMATED $61.0 million (-33%) at 3,161 theaters (theater count unchanged; $19,298 per theater). Its cume is approximately $202.3 million. (Fox estimated its three-day gross at $48.85 million, which would give it a cume through Sunday of $190.16 million.)
Some insiders were estimating Clones' four day total to be in the $63-64 million range, which would require its three day number to be higher than the $48.85 million Fox was estimating Sunday. Monday's updated estimates could bring a higher four-day projection from Fox based on Clones' Sunday ticket sales.
Star Wars' average per theater was the highest for any film playing this weekend.
Directed by George Lucas, it stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen.
Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace took in $431.1 million in domestic theaters. Its worldwide total (domestic plus international) was $923 million.
Columbia's PG-13 sci-fi fantasy blockbuster Spider-Man was still showing powerful legs, holding on to second place in its fourth week with an enviable ESTIMATED $38.5 million (-22%) at 3,876 theaters (+261 theaters; $9,933 per theater). Its cume is approximately $336.3 million, heading for at least $400 million and quite possibly as much as $450 million in domestic theaters. (Sony estimated its three-day gross at $30.5 million, which would give it a cume through Sunday of $328.3 million.)
Directed by Sam Raimi, it stars Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris.
"3,876 is the highest print count ever. 3,750 (prints) for Shrek was the previous high that was (reached) during the course of their run," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing &amp; distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning, noting that Spidey's 261 print increase reflected the fact that "more theaters are demanding Spider-Man."
Looking at the latest records set by Spider-Man, Blake noted, "It was the fastest to $300 million. We hit it Friday on day 22. The previous fastest to $300 million was Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace in 28 days. By Monday we will be at $336.3 million, which will make us the sixth biggest picture of all time, passing Forrest Gump, which did $329.7 million. We're one step away from the Top Five where Jurassic Park has $357 million. And it's the biggest fourth weekend gross ever for three or four days. We've broken a record in each of our first four weeks."
Alcon Entertainment's R rated thriller Insomnia arrived in third place via Warner Bros. to an eye-opening ESTIMATED $26.2 million at 2,610 theaters ($10,038 per theater). (Warners estimated its three-day gross at $21.04 million.)
Directed by Christopher Nolan, it stars Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank.
"It's the largest Memorial Day weekend in Warner Bros. history," Warner Bros. Distribution president Dan Fellman said Sunday morning. "We have never opened up a movie (to bigger business over) Memorial Day weekend. Also, it's the largest opening in Al Pacino's career. Dick Tracy did $22 million and The Godfathers didn't open that wide and (they were) many, many years ago. This ties Robin Williams' biggest opening, which was Flubber (which opened Nov. 26, 1997 to $26.7 million)."
Focusing on the film's strong opening, Fellman said, "Insomnia is an Alcon production, distributed by Warner Bros., and financed by Fred Smith of Fed Ex. The success of our opening confirms the opportunity for counter-programming adult themed films during the competitive summer season."
Along those lines, Warners has another example of counter-programming coming with its June 7 launch of Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. "That is more female obviously and this (Insomnia) is male," Fellman explained. "And then we're going to hit 'em on the nose with Scooby-Doo (a live action and animation family film opening June 14 based on the long running TV cartoon series. We're looking for a good solid summer here."
As for the strong start the summer is off to, Fellman said, "I've got a four day number of almost $200 million. It's off to a great start. The box office is running about 22 percent ahead of last year and I think we'll continue this record pace through the summer and well into the fall and Christmas. We'll have another huge year at the box office.
"Admissions are up right now by about 12 percent and I think they'll continue to grow. I think the movie business is very healthy. Exhibition has emerged from their downward spiral (and is now) healthy and flush from all these big successes."
Could this be a $10 billion year at the domestic theatrical box office? "It certainly could be," Fellman replied. "I think so. We've got a couple of other strong contenders (besides Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets opening Nov. 15). We've got the sequel to Analyze This (which again stars Robert DeNiro and Billy Crystal and is called) Analyze That (opening Dec. 6. We also have a really funny -- I've seen some of it -- wonderful romantic comedy with Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant (Castle Rock Entertainment's Two Weeks Notice, opening Dec. 20), which kind of reminds me of When Harry Met Sally. It's a very well made fun movie."
DreamWorks' G rated animated feature Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron opened in fourth place to a fast paced ESTIMATED $23.3 million at 3,317 theaters ($7,024 per theater). (DreamWorks estimated its three-day gross at $17.8 million.)
Directed by Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook, it was produced by Mireille Soria and Jeffrey Katzenberg.
"We're very happy and pleased with the (three-day total of) $17.8 million," DreamWorks distribution head Jim Tharp said Sunday morning. "Going into the weekend, many people (predicting the box office) had us doing about $18 million for the four days.
"I think as schools let out across the country, more of our audience becomes available and it looks good for the long term of the movie."
Weather patterns across the country over the rest of the holiday weekend will also play a part in how Spirit winds up performing. "If it rains like we think it will in a big part of the Eastern part of the country, our number could actually go up a little," he explained.
Looking at the very strong early summer box office, Tharp noted, "The industry is up 15 or 16 percent already. You have to think that this summer based on the number of high profile movies and (just) the number of movies should be up that much over last year if not more."
Last summer saw ticket sales from Memorial Day through Labor Day of about $3 billion. Including the pre-summer weeks starting in mid-May brought the total to about $3.3 billion. A 15 percent increase this summer would mean a pre-summer and summer total of about $3.8 billion.
Hollywood has on tap this summer, Tharp said, "movies that will appeal to a wide variety of people. That's how you actually increase attendance."
And looking down the road, he added, "It could literally be a $10 billion year. I think it's a real possibility." Last year Hollywood set a record with box office grosses hitting $8.4 billion. Tharp pointed out that in the coming months this year will continue to be "very crowded and there's a wide spectrum of movies from late September through the Holiday season." A number of major franchise films are due to arrive in the fourth quarter, including the next installments of James Bond, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.
Columbia's PG-13 rated thriller Enough kicked off in fifth place to a solid ESTIMATED $19.0 million at 2,623 theaters ($7,244 per theater). (Sony estimated its three-day gross at $15.0 million.)
Directed by Michael Apted, it stars Jennifer Lopez.
"It's very much in the range of Jennifer Lopez's other successful films, which include Anaconda, which opened April 11, 1997 to $16.6 million and did $65.5 million (in domestic theaters), The Cell, which opened Aug. 18, 2000 to $17.5 million and did $61.2 million and The Wedding Planner, which opened Jan. 26, 2001 to $13.5 million and did $60.4 million," Sony's Jeff Blake said.
"Clearly, this is a solid opening. It's a $40 million negative picture and if we can get to the range of these other films (starring Lopez) we'll be in great shape."
Universal and Studio Canal's PG-13 rated romantic comedy drama About a Boy, from Tribeca and Working Title, fell two slots to sixth place in its second weekend with an okay ESTIMATED $10.07 million (+5%) at 1,749 theaters (+542 theaters; $5,755 per theater). Boy, which was made for only $27 million, has a cume of approximately $22.0 million. (Insiders estimated its three-day gross at $7.6 million.)
Directed by Paul Weitz &amp; Chris Weitz, it stars Hugh Grant, Rachel Weisz and Toni Collette.
20th Century Fox and Regency Enterprises' R rated thriller Unfaithful slid four pegs to seventh place in its third weekend with a less sexy ESTIMATED $7.8 million (-28%) at 2,401 theaters (-223 theaters; $3,255 per theater). Its cume is approximately $41.3 million. (Fox estimated its three-day gross at $6.23 million.)
Directed by Adrian Lyne, it stars Richard Gere, Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez.
Columbia's release of Revolution Studios' PG-13 rated low budget comedy The New Guy fell three slots to eighth place in its third week with a calm ESTIMATED $5.7 million (-18%) at 2,374 theaters (-313 theaters; $2,401 per theater). Its cume is approximately $24.7 million. (Sony estimated its three-day gross at $4.5 million.)
Directed by Ed Decter, it stars D.J. Qualls.
"It's a $13 million negative that looks like it's going to go north of $30 million (in domestic theaters) so it will be a very solid profitable picture for us," Sony's Jeff Blake said.
Paramount's R rated road rage drama Changing Lanes dropped three rungs to ninth place in its seventh week with a slower ESTIMATED $2.0 million (-40%) at 1,258 theaters (-900 theaters; $1,610 per theater). Its cume is approximately $64.6 million. (Insiders estimated its three-day gross at $1.6 million.)
Directed by Roger Michell, it stars Ben Affleck and Samuel L Jackson.
Rounding out the Top Ten was Universal's PG-13 rated adventure spinoff The Scorpion King in association with World Wrestling Federation Entertainment and Alphaville, down three pegs in its sixth week with an uneventful ESTIMATED $1.8 million (-42%) at 1,527 theaters (-1,028 theaters; $1,205 per theater). Its cume is approximately $87.9 million, heading for $95 million or more in domestic theaters. (Insiders estimated its three-day gross at $1.2 million.)
Directed by Chuck Russell, it stars The Rock.
MEMORIAL DAY OVERVIEW -- 1982 - 2001
Looking back at Memorial Day weekends over the past two decades, it's clear that the holiday's importance to Hollywood has grown enormously.
Memorial Day began looking like a potentially big holiday in 1982 when MGM/UA's Rocky III starring Sylvester Stallone delivered a $16 million knockout punch for four days at 939 theaters ($17,055 per theater). Hollywood hadn't quite yet realized how a Wednesday opening could extend a holiday weekend's impact, so Rocky III entered the ring on a Friday (May 28).
Rocky III ran rings around everything else playing that weekend: 20th Century Fox's suspense thriller Visiting Hours ($5.3 million), Universal's action drama Conan the Barbarian ($5.2 million), Universal's comedy Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid ($4.6 million) and Fox's youth appeal comedy Porky's ($4.5 million). Key films - those grossing at least $500,000 for the four days from May 28-31 - took in $49.9 million.
Only one year later in 1983, Memorial Day box office history was being rewritten with Fox's launch of George Lucas' third Star Wars film Return of the Jedi. This time, the action got underway on Wednesday as Jedi blasted off to $30.5 million for four days (May 27-30) and $41.1 million for six days at 1,002 theaters.
Everything else playing was in a much lower orbit: Columbia's action drama Blue Thunder ($6.2 million), Paramount's romantic dance drama Flashdance ($4.7 million), Columbia's sci-fi epic Spacehunter ($4.6 million) and Orion's drama Breathless ($2.8 million). Key films grossed $61.4 million.
Jedi's Memorial Day record only lasted until 1984, one year later, when Paramount's adventure Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom from George Lucas and Steven Spielberg kicked off on a Wednesday to $33.9 million four days (May 25-28) and $42.3 million for six days at 1,687 theaters.
Nothing else came close: TriStar's drama The Natural ($6.9 million), Cannon and MGM/UA's dance film Breakin' ($4.1 million), Fox's adventure drama Romancing the Stone ($4.1 million) and Universal's youth appeal comedy 16 Candles ($2.9 million). Key films took in $67.3 million.
Memorial Day 1985 wasn't nearly as strong as it had been in '84. TriStar's adventure sequel Rambo: First Blood 2 starring Sylvester Stallone finished first with $25.5 million. With 2,074 theaters, it was the widest release Memorial Day had ever seen to that point.
By 1985 Hollywood was beginning to see the value of being in the Memorial Day marketplace. Unlike past years when only one big new film had opened for the long weekend, 1985 brought a Friday opening for MGM/UA's James Bond adventure A View To A Kill ($13.3 million) and a Wednesday launch for Universal's comedy Brewster's Millions ($9.6 million for four days and $11.5 million for six days). Rounding out the top five were Paramount's long running Beverly Hills Cop ($2.9 million) and Warner Bros.' comedy Police Academy 2 ($1.5 million). Key films grossed $63.6 million from May 24-27.
Memorial Day 1986 saw a big downturn in holiday ticket sales. Cannon/Warner Bros.' opening of the action adventure Cobra starring Sylvester Stallone was first with an unexciting $15.7 million at 2,131 theaters for four days.
MGM/UA's opening of its horror sequel Poltergeist II was a strong second with $12.4 million at 1,596 theaters. Others in the top five were: Paramount's Top Gun starring Tom Cruise, which had opened a week earlier ($9.4 million), TriStar's comedy Short Circuit ($5.5 million) and Universal's comedy Sweet Liberty ($3.1 million). Key films took in $51.9 million from May 23-26.
Memorial Day ticket sales snapped back to life in 1987 with Paramount's opening of Beverly Hills Cop II starring Eddie Murphy ($33.0 million for four days and $40.6 million for six days) at 2,326 theaters.
Second place went to Buena Vista's launch of Ernest Goes to Camp ($6.2 million). Others in the top five: Universal's comedy The Secret of My Success ($3.7 million), Columbia's failed comedy Ishtar ($3.4 million) and New Century's horror film The Gate ($2.9 million). Key films took in $62.2 million from May 22-25.
Memorial Day 1988 took a step backwards with Paramount's opening of Crocodile Dundee II starring Paul Hogan ($24.5 million for four days and $29.2 million for six days) at 2,837 theaters. By 1988, studios were going much wider than ever before.
TriStar's launch of Rambo III starring Sylvester Stallone was second with $16.7 million at 2,562 theaters ($21.2 million for six days). Also playing: MGM/UA's George Lucas drama Willow ($7.6 million), Orion's drama Colors ($2.4 million) and Warners' Tim Burton classic Beetlejuice ($2.0 million). Key films grossed $63.1 million from May 27-30.
Memorial Day saw big time success again in 1989 with Paramount's opening of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade from Lucas/Spielberg with $37.0 million for four days and $46.9 million for six days at 2,327 theaters.
Nothing else stood a chance: TriStar's thriller See No Evil, Hear No Evil ($6.1 million), Universal's drama Field of Dreams ($5.7 million), UA's youth comedy Road House ($5.0 million) and Warners' opening of the drama Pink Cadillac starring Clint Eastwood ($4.4 million for four days). Key films mustered $69.5 million from May 26-29.
Memorial Day 1990 brought a downturn with Universal's opening of Back to the Future Part III with $23.7 million for four days at 2,019 theaters.
Universal also occupied second place with Bird on a Wire starring Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn ($12.8 million), which had opened one week earlier.
Others in the top five: Buena Vista's blockbuster Pretty Woman ($8.2 million), Orion's comedy drama Cadillac Man starring Robin Williams ($6.5 million) and Buena Vista's opening of its action drama Fire Birds starring Nicolas Cage and Tommy Lee Jones ($6.4 million for four days). Key films took in $69.8 million from May 25-28.
Memorial Day continued to drop in 1991 with Universal's opening of Ron Howard's drama Backdraft with $15.7 million for four days at 1,852 theaters. Second place went to Buena Vista's comedy What About Bob ($11.2 million) and TriStar's opening of the drama Hudson Hawk starring Bruce Willis was third ($7.1 million for four days at 2,071 theaters).
Rounding out the top five: MGM's opening of the now classic drama Thelma &amp; Louise starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis ($6.1 million for four days at 1,179 theaters) and Fox's opening of its drama Only the Lonely ($6.0 million at 1,179 theaters for four days). Key films totaled $69.6 million from May 24-27.
Success was in the air again with Memorial Day 1992 as Warners took first place with Lethal Weapon 3 starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover ($27.6 million at 2,510 theaters). Having opened a week earlier, its 11 day cume was $70.5 million.
Fox's opening of Alien 3 starring Sigourney Weaver was second with $23.1 million for four days at 2,227 theaters. Third place went to Universal's opening of Ron Howard's drama Far and Away starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman ($12.9 million for four days at 1,583 theaters).
Rounding out the top five: Buena Vista's opening of the comedy Encino Man starring Brendan Fraser ($9.9 million for four days at 2,050 theaters); and TriStar's blockbuster thriller Basic Instinct starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone ($3.2 million). Key films accounted for $93.5 million from May 22-25, marking the first time the Memorial Day marketplace expanded within reach of $100 million.
Memorial Day 1993 brought yet another TriStar action adventure opening starring Sylvester Stallone - Cliffhanger with $20.5 million for four days at 2,333 theaters. Second place went to Warners' opening of the comedy Made in America starring Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson ($11.8 million for four days at 2,048 theaters).
Warners' comedy Dave was third ($8.9 million), followed by Buena Vista's opening of the youth appeal drama Super Mario Bros. ($8.5 million for four days at 2,081 theaters) and Fox's comedy sequel Hot Shots! Part Deux ($8.2 million). Key films retreated to $88.1 million from May 28-31.
Memorial Day ticket sales were on the rise again in 1994 with Universal's launch of its comedy The Flintstones with $37.2 million for four days at 2,498 theaters. Warners' second weekend of Maverick starring Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and James Garner was second ($18.6 million. Paramount's opening of Beverly Hills Cop III starring Eddie Murphy was third with $15.3 million for four days and $18.8 million for six days at 2,748 theaters.
Also in the top five: Buena Vista's drama When a Man Loves a Woman ($7.0 million) and Miramax's suspense thriller The Crow ($6.6 million). Key films were once again pushing $100 million -- with $95.2 million from May 27-30.
The marketplace expanded over Memorial Day 1995 although there wasn't as much action in first place. Universal's dramatic comedy Casper opened atop the chart with $22.1 million for four days at 2,714 theaters. Fox's second weekend of Die Hard with a Vengeance starring Bruce Willis was second with $19.0 million. Paramount's opening of Braveheart starring Mel Gibson took third place with $12.9 million for four days and $15.6 million for six days at 2,035 theaters.
Rounding out the top five: Buena Vista's drama Crimson Tide ($12.8 million) and Sony's comedy drama Forget Paris starring Billy Crystal and Debra Winger ($7.7 million). Key films cracked $100 million for the first time with $112.0 million for May 26-29.
Memorial Day 1996 really brought the holiday weekend into its own as Paramount launched Mission: Impossible to $56.8 million for four days and $74.9 million for six days (including Tuesday night previews) at 3,012 theaters. It was the widest release ever for a Memorial Day opening.
Warners' disaster drama Twister was a solid second with $38.0 million in its third weekend. Buena Vista's comedy Spy Hard opened in third place with $10.4 million for four days. Universal's family film Flipper was fourth with $5.4 million. Fifth place went to Fox's drama The Truth About Cats and Dogs ($2.7 million). Key films collected $124.99 million from May 24-27.
What was big in '96 looked smaller a year later as Memorial Day 1997 saw Universal's opening of Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park to $92.7 million at 3,281 theaters for four days (including its Thursday night previews).
Warners' opening of the drama Addicted to Love was a distant second with $11.4 million for four days at 2,007 theaters. Sony's sci-fi drama The Fifth Element was third ($8.0 million), followed by New Line's comedy Austin Powers ($5.6 million) and Paramount's drama Breakdown ($5.4 million). Key films did a hefty $142.9 million from May 23-26.
Memorial Day 1998 saw the marketplace contract again as Sony's Godzilla opened in first place with $55.7 million for four days and $74.3 million for six days at 3,310 theaters. Paramount's sci-fi disaster drama Deep Impact was second with $19.4 million in its third weekend.
Buena Vista's drama The Horse Whisperer starring Robert Redford and Kristin Scott Thomas was third with $14.5 million in its second weekend. Also in the top five: Fox's satire Bullworth starring Warren Beatty ($10.5 million) and Warners' animated feature Quest for Camelot ($6.3 million). Key films grossed $128.97 million from May 22-25.
Memorial Day 1999 was topped by Fox's Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace from George Lucas with $66.9 million for four days at 3,023 theaters, bringing its cume to $207.1 million for 13 days.
Second place went to Universal's opening of its romantic comedy drama Notting Hill starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant ($27.7 million for four days at 2,747 theaters). Universal also took third place with The Mummy ($12.9 million). Rounding out the top five: Fox's romantic thriller Entrapment ($7.2 million) and Sony's opening of its sci-fi thriller The Thirteenth Floor ($4.3 million for four days at 1,815 theaters). Key films took in $136.1 million from May 28-31.
Memorial Day 2000 saw even bigger business than the previous year as Paramount's Mission: Impossible 2 opened to $70.8 million for four days at 3,653 theaters and a six day cume of $91.8 million.
Second place went to Buena Vista/Disney's first wide weekend for its animated feature Dinosaur ($32.0 million at 3,302 theaters). Buena Vista also took third place with Touchstone's action drama Shanghai Noon starring Jackie Chan ($19.6 million). Rounding out the top five: DreamWorks' epic Gladiator ($17.1 million) and DreamWorks' youth appeal comedy Road Trip ($13.5 million for four days at 1,815 theaters). Key films took in a record setting Memorial weekend total of $175.9 million from May 26-29.
Memorial Day 2001 went into the history books as the holiday weekend's biggest ever at the time, led by Buena Vista/ Touchstone's launch of Pearl Harbor with $75.2 million for four days at 3,214 theaters.
Second place went to DreamWorks' second weekend of its animated feature Shrek ($55.2 million at 3,623 theaters). Universal finished third with its action adventure The Mummy Returns starring Brendan Fraser ($19.0 million). Rounding out the top five: Columbia's epic A Knight's Tale ($9.1 million) and Franchise Films and Warner Bros.' drama Angel Eyes ($6.2 million). Key films took in a record setting Memorial weekend total of $178.5 million from May 25-28.
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend also saw the arrival of Miramax's PG rated comedy The Importance of Being Earnest to an encouraging ESTIMATED $0.53 million at 38 theaters ($13,809 per theater). (Miramax estimated its three-day gross at $0.37 million.)
Directed by Oliver Parker, it stars Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O'Connor, Reese Witherspoon, Judi Dench and Tom Wilkinson.
United Artists' R rated drama CQ, released through MGM Distribution Co., arrived to a hopeful ESTIMATED $51,000 at 7 theaters in New York and Los Angeles ($7,286 per theater). (MGM estimated its three-day gross at $40,000.)
Written and directed by Roman Coppola, it stars Jeremy Davies and Angela Lindvall.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
This weekend saw no national sneak previews.
EXPANSIONS
On the expansion front this weekend there was no significant activity to report.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films--those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $200.16 million for the four-day holiday
weekend, up about 12.13 percent from last year when they totaled $178.48 million for four days.
Key films for this four-day holiday weekend cannot be compared to the previous weekend of this year, which was a normal three-day weekend.
Last year, Buena Vista/Touchstone's opening week of Pearl Harbor was first with $75.18 million for four days at 3,214 theaters ($23,391 per theater); and DreamWorks' second week of Shrek was second with $55.22 million for four days at 3,623 theaters ($15,240 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $130.4 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $99.5 million.

Top Story
A judge and former prosecutor in New Jersey filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Sopranos creator David Chase, claiming he helped Chase create the hit HBO show and has yet to see any compensation for it. According to The Associated Press, Robert Baer claims he met with Chase several times to give him details about the North Jersey mob and even to critique an early draft of the show's pilot episode. At the time, they entered into an oral agreement that if the show took off, Baer would be paid.
Celebs
A woman accused of stalking actor Richard Gere pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment Thursday. Instead of jail time, Ursula Reichert-Habbishaw, 51, agreed to return home to Germany, never to bother Gere again. The divorced mother of four children had faxed or called Gere roughly 1,000 times over the last 14 months, AP reported.
Paul Newman is returning to the stage. He'll star as the stage manager in a production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Conn., near his home. He was chosen by the theater's artistic director--Newman's wife, Joanne Woodward--after he wowed her by reading one of the speeches.
Hip-hop prince Ja Rule says he may call it quits in a few years. Backstage at the BET Awards on Tuesday night, he told a press conference, "I'm going to retire after two more albums," to pursue an acting career. He's in negotiations to star in the sequel to The Fast and the Furious.
'N Sync member Lance Bass may chuck it all for space exploration. According to Reuters, he recently underwent a minor procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat so he can qualify for a seat aboard a Russian rocket flight to the International Space Station. He claims it's been his lifelong dream to be an astronaut.
Casting Call
Putting his light saber in the closet for the moment, Stars Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones star Hayden Christensen is in negotiations to play a disgraced journalist in the fact-based drama Shattered Glass. The film centers on Stephen Glass, who was briefly a rising star in the journalistic world but was discovered to have made up sources, quotes and often entire stories.
In the Biz
Limp Bizkit's lead singer, Fred Durst, has decided to combine a lifelong passion with his feature directorial debut. His project Lords of Dogtown focuses on the birth of the teenage skateboarding revolution (an extreme-sports activity Durst has long been interested in), following a group of young California surfers who take their moves from the ocean to the streets. The film will start shooting this summer.
Looks like Sony Pictures Entertainment's president and chief operating officer, Mel Harris, will step down from the post when his contract expires in September. Variety reports it is only speculation at this point but that several Sony execs are vying for the position.
Tube News
The Fox network is having to seriously reshuffle its new fall lineup, as two of its signature shows--Ally McBeal and The X-Files--are departing this year. Fox is looking to replace McBeal with another David E. Kelley drama about lawyers and may turn Sundays into strictly a comedy night.
Due to contractual reasons, the U.K. premiere of MTV's The Osbournes this Sunday has been delayed. MTV apologized to U.K. viewers and promised to have a new and confirmed air date soon.
Comedy legend Lily Tomlin will be joining the cast of NBC's The West Wing, as the new secretary to President Bartlet (Martin Sheen). She debuts this Wednesday in the series' season finale.
Music News
Napster, the song-swapping company that changed the music business, is up in arms. Chief Executive Konrad Hilbers and co-founder Shawn Fanning both resigned their posts Tuesday after Napster's board rejected an agreement to be acquired by German media company Bertelsmann AG.